Overview

• Mercedes officially locked in George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2026, ending months of speculation ahead of the new rules era.
• With that move, four of 22 seats remain open for 2026: Red Bull’s second, two at Racing Bulls, and Alpine’s second.
• Alpine has re-signed Pierre Gasly and is weighing Franco Colapinto against reserve Paul Aron for the remaining seat, with a decision expected in late October or early November.
• Recent results in which Colapinto out-qualified and out-raced Gasly have strengthened his case, even as an Autosport roundtable offered mixed evaluations of his long‑term upside.
• Colapinto says he is prepared and learning heading into the Austin sprint weekend, as teams prize stability with major 2026 technical and power‑unit changes approaching.